The Walking Dead: Rule of the Triumvirate
by Ohyoupokedme
Summary: On the brink of losing his sanity, Kenny begins to travel west from Wellington after leaving Clementine and AJ. Eventually, Kenny finds himself in a situation with another community ruled by three very powerful people, a government they call a Triumvirate.
1. Chapter 1

**The Walking Dead**

_Rule of the Triumvirate_

(AN: This branches off one of the endings of The Walking Dead: Season Two game. This is KENNY'S story, not Clementine's, and no I wont be doing one with Clementine in it. This story is more experimental, but leave a review with any mistakes you see and I will fix it ASAP. Enjoy!)

"Come on! I'll race you to the top!"

Kenny began sprinting up the snowy hill with AJ in his arms. Clementine laughed and follow him close behind.

"Come on Alvie! We got this!"

It has been a while since Kenny ever heard Clementine laugh, or even smile. She doesn't do it as much anymore, probably because she is always so focused on survival. Granted, they all were, but there were very rare opportunities that Kenny and Clem could just relax and laugh. It was a hard nine days of survival, and AJ wasn't looking too good during those days. Thankfully, Kenny and Clem managed to find supplies for him, but it was tough.

Kenny knew that had been a gamble, but if Christa was right and Wellington IS real, then it was the only chance AJ and them had. Jane would have taken Clem and AJ back to Howe's, alone with nobody but her. That isn't the life that Kenny wanted for Clem and AJ. He wanted them to be happy, not struggling to get by. If Jane had lived, Kenny and Jane would be arguing the whole time on where to go, and eventually, one of them had to go or shut up and take it. Either way, one of them had to submit, and Kenny was not going to throw away the only chance Clem and AJ have to be happy.

The laughing that Clem made was music to his ears. Kenny wished Duck were here to see this, to play along with them. Kenny immediately pushed the thought out of his mind. He didn't want old memories to spoil this moment with Clementine.

The snow was surprisingly thin as they ran up the hill. What was over the hill was what surprised Kenny the most, though…

As he looked over the hill, there was Wellington…

A long wall appeared before him, stretching over the entire landscape from east to west. Kenny's jaw dropped open. They made it. Finally, they made it! Kenny admittedly was beginning to doubt that they'd ever find it…

"You cheated!" Clementine said behind Kenny playfully. When she got to the top as well, her eyes widened as well.

"Holy shit…" For a moment that's all Kenny could make out, "We did it Clem. That's… That's gotta be it!" Kenny let out a satisfied chuckle.

"It's about time…" Clem said.

"You're telling me… What are we waitin' for? Come on!"

Kenny and Clementine began walking toward the epic wall towering in the distance. Even from this range the walls looked massive.

"This ones' going to be the one!" Kenny mused, "Look at those walls! We'll finally be safe, Clem! We'd be able to sleep at night…"

A loud bang was let off in the distance, then an impact near Kenny and Clem. Kenny's first instinct was to duck and protect AJ, but Kenny kept standing. He somehow knew something like that would happen. They couldn't let people in that easily, now could they?

A loud speaker roared to life and a female voice appeared on it, "That's far enough…"

"Just stay still, Clem." Kenny said, "Do as she says…" Kenny didn't want this opportunity to go to waste. "Put your hands up, Clem."

Clementine did as he asked, looking toward Wellington with a worried look on her face. For a short moment, only the winter wind could be heard, then the woman spoke, "Drop your weapons…"

Clementine looked at Kenny for confirmation. Kenny simply looked at her for a moment. Clem knew what he wanted. She took the gun out of her back pocket with one hand and threw it aside.

"Approach the gate…" the woman's voice commanded. Kenny and Clem started moving forward. By the time they got to the gate, a woman with fuzzy earmuffs stood above the gate, a rifle in hand. She looked abnormally clean and well-kept, not really normal during times like these. She had a brown coat with the top half colored dark brown and the bottom half a camelish color. "Hi. I'm Edith." She said down to them.

"The name's Kenny. And this here is Clementine."

"Hello." Edith said plainly, then noticed Alvin Jr. in Kenny's arms. "Aw, what a handsome boy. Look at him… What's his name?"

"Alvin… Junior." Kenny replied.

"Aww, he's going to be a little heartbreaker when he grows up."

Clem interrupted for a second, "Is there someone named Christa in there?"

Edith shook her head, "I don't think so, dear."

Clementine frowned and looked away for a moment. Clem had been searching for Christa ever since they were separated at the river, and it frustrated her that she couldn't find her. Now that she knew that she wasn't at Wellington yet, all Clem could hope is that she is out there somewhere, trying to get to Wellington as well. Maybe Edith was making a mistake. Maybe Christa was in there. There is probably a lot of people in there and it must be hard to keep track of them.

"So… this is Wellington, right?" Kenny asked.

"A lot of people call it that." Edith said.

"Okay… so, what do we do to get in?" He asked.

Edith suddenly got a sad look on her face, "Well… I'm afraid this is the part where I give you the bad news…" Edith stepped back for a moment.

Kenny suddenly felt worried. Bad news? Kenny looked at Clem, and she was worried as well. 'It's okay,' Kenny thought to himself, 'it's probably nothing. It's gotta be…'

Edith came back with a sports bag. She dropped it in the snow in front of Kenny and Clem by the gate. "The hell's this?"

"That's some supplies," Edith said, as if it pained her to say these words, "Food, water, medicine, a first aid kit…"

"What?" Kenny interrupted, "Why are you giving us this?" Though Kenny was afraid he already knew the answer.

"Unfortunately, our community isn't accepting new members…" Edith said sadly.

Kenny seemed to age twenty years when he heard this. The bags under his eyes began to show and the stress of the past nine days piled itself onto him again. All this work… and it was for nothing?

Edith continued, "We are over capacity as it is and… there just isn't enough to go around if we keep bringing people in. Things might change in a few months…"

"You gotta be fucking kidding me…" Kenny said. It sounded like he wanted to yell it, but just didn't have the strength to do so.

"But, we have a baby!" Clem yelled, hoping Edith would reconsider.

Edith looked away and closed her eyes, "This is hard for me, too. I don't want to turn anybody away, especially children, but…"

"Just take the kids!" Kenny yelled up to Edith.

Clem looked at Kenny as if she was hit in the gut, "What?" she managed out.

"Just take the kids! It's too dangerous out here for them!"

"Kenny, I…"

"It's just a little girl and a baby boy! You can make room for that!" Kenny begged, "You can take back the supplies that you gave us if that helps… please, I just… I need them to be safe… and it's safe in there, I know that! Just ask someone, please? They won't make it out here… Please!"

Edith closed her eyes and looked away again. It was clear she was getting emotional. "I'll… I'll ask, just… give me a second." Edith disappeared behind the wall.

Kenny put his hand on his face, as if saying that took all the energy out of him. He sighed deeply. In a way, Kenny was disappointed, but he knew that this needed to be done… for Clem and for AJ. "You don't need to look at me like that…" Kenny said to Clem, feeling her gaze on him.

"We aren't staying here without you." Clem stated.

"Yes, you are." Kenny said.

"No, we're not!"

"Yes, you are!" Kenny yelled weakly yet angrily. Kenny scowled at Clementine for a moment, then he saw her stunned gaze again, then turned away. "You'll be safe… You two will be safe; that is what's important now."

Edith reappeared on top of the gate and looked down at them, "We can take the children but…" Her gaze lowered a bit, "Just the children… I made the case that…"

Kenny smiled, "Thank you! Thank you!" He said happily, then looked toward Clementine. "Listen… okay? Listen." Kenny handed Clementine AJ, "This is your chance, for you and this boy." Kenny grabbed Clementine by the shoulders, "I don't trust myself to keep you two safe… not anymore. Please… I'm begging you, stay here. Stay here where it's safe, where you two will have a chance!"

Tears began to run down Clementine's eyes, "No, no, no! Why are you doing this?" Clem closed her eyes.

"Because it's the only way… for both of you." Kenny began to choke up, "Think about Alvie here…" Kenny's grip tightened on Clementine's arms, and he began to cry as well, a wet spot appearing on his eye patch on his left eye. "Please Clem, just do as I'm asking… this one last time. You'll meet people, you'll make friends… people better than me… people who don't have to look at you and feel ashamed for what they put you through… please Clem… Where you don't have to sleep with a gun next to you every night. You'll be a kid again…"

Clem nodded, "Okay. Okay, we'll stay… we'll stay…"

Kenny hugged Clem tightly, her tears staining his shoulder. "Good… this is the right decision… okay? Right." Kenny looked at AJ, then back at Clem. "When he's grown, you tell him about his mommy, and his daddy, and all the people who tried to keep him safe. You tell him, okay? He deserves to know."

Kenny stood straight up and looked around like he was trying to remember something, "I got, uh… Oh! Here… Here! Take this…" Kenny took off his brown hat and gave it to Clementine. Kenny kneeled down to Clem's level, "When he… When he's old enough, you make him wear it. It'll keep the sun out of his eyes… that's important…. Alright… good." Kenny looked up at Edith, "Keep an eye out for them… please." Edith simply looked back down at him sadly, as if she had seen this before but it always hurt to watch it happen again and again.

Kenny looked back at Clem, "You take care of Alvin here… you live a good life, okay?" Clementine was crying too hard to reply. Kenny leaned in, "Don't waste this… okay? Now, I'm gunna go… I'm gunna go… before one of us…" Kenny fought back the sobbing, "Before one of us changes their mind…" Kenny walked over to the supply bag and picked it up. "Now, I'm going to walk away, and I might not look back… not because I don't want to…"

Kenny started walking away from the gate, then paused to look at Clementine. "I'm real glad to have met you, Clementine…"

Kenny began walking away toward the hill, Clem crying too hard to say anything more. The gate behind Clementine opened behind her, and Edith appeared at the bottom. Clem simply kept watching Kenny as he walked away. Then Kenny stopped a moment. Kenny wanted so bad to look back, but he kept walking. Kenny had said his piece, and his adventure with Clementine is finished. She is safe in the hands of the people of Wellington. That is what Lee would have wanted. It's what her parents would have wanted. He was afraid that if he looked back he wouldn't be able to let go, but he had the ease of knowing that he won't have to fear for their lives anymore. Clementine walked to the gate with Edith, and the gates shut behind him.

When the closing gate echoed behind Kenny, he fell to his knees and wept.


	2. Chapter 2

**Kenny**

Kenny leaned up against a tree, shivering in the cold. He tried to use the forest to protect himself better from the wind, but it only did so much. His toes and fingers pulsed in pain from the cold, and he could barely keep the pistol in his hands. The metal was cold, but Kenny couldn't do anything about that; out here, you always have to be on guard. Always. The moment you aren't, that is usually when danger is the most life threatening.

His hands shook uncontrollably. It's been a while since Kenny prayed for his own life, but he closed his eyes and said a silent prayer. He was going to die here. Frozen to death in someplace in the middle of the woods. The morning sun didn't provide much warmth as the rays of light shined through the trees. There had to be something. He couldn't die here. He didn't want to. Kenny set the gun on his lap and began breathing in his hands, but was ready to pick the gun up again when the time called for it. His senses were going numb. Kenny wanted to keep going, but his legs failed him. He could barely move. Kenny tried to recall how long it's been since he left Wellington… a month, maybe? Or was it several months? Kenny picked up the sports bag he received from Edith and opened it; a pistol magazine and a can of food was all that's left. Would have helped if they gave blankets along with the supplies. Kenny took a moment to take out the magazine and examine it. Then Kenny grabbed the gun from his lap slowly and took out its current clip. Empty. Kenny had used the last of his bullets yesterday on some walkers and he forgot to reload it. Funny; things like that should be automatic during times like these, but Kenny was so focused on getting warm at the time he didn't bother. He slid the full magazine into the pistol and loaded it. For a while, he just stared at it. Then he pondered… A bullet wouldn't hurt as bad as freezing to death. He didn't have anything more to live for; he got AJ and Clementine safe, and he was going to die anyway.

Kenny put the gun to his temple at first, but then he remembered Katjaa…

His wife had died the same way. She left him because their son, Duck, was dying from a walker bite. She left Kenny alone for him to deal with not only Duck's loss, but her death as well.

A single tear ran down Kenny's cheek as he lowered the gun. "I… h-have t-t-to keep g-going…" He said to himself. Then he started hitting his arms and hands against his legs, trying to produce some warmth. Kenny was shocked at himself. He vowed to never go out like that, yet he was a trigger pull away from suicide. He just had to keep pressing forward, it's never steered him wrong before.

Kenny made an attempt to get up, but then he heard footsteps. Very light footsteps. It didn't sound like a walker.

A few moments later, a dog appeared around a tree. It was a German shepherd.

Kenny nearly yelled out in joy. The dog's fur! It can warm him up!

Kenny reached into his pocket and pulled out the sliver steak knife he got from the last house he was in. Kenny then put out his hand toward the dog and acted like there was food in it. "C-come here boy…" Kenny teased. The dog perked up and looked toward his hand, but didn't move. "Come on… you c-can do it… f-food!" The dog started to approach Kenny cautiously, then paused. "Food! Come get f-food!" Kenny continued, shaking his hand like he had a treat.

The dog came up to Kenny and sniffed the hand, then Kenny grabbed the dog by the muzzle and attempted to stab it in the throat, but the dog wrestled out of his grip and growled at him. Kenny quickly yet carefully got up on his wobbly legs and readied his knife. Kenny was shaking so much that he couldn't keep a tight grip on the dog. It was angry this time, growling with hatred at Kenny. Kenny's hand stung from forcing them to move so quickly in the cold, but he stayed where he was, getting ready for the dog to pounce. The dog was getting ready to attack, until a voice said, "Dee! Here! Heel!" The dog, who must have been Dee, backed down.

Kenny was thankful that Dee backed off, because he was starting to lose his consciousness from how cold he was.

"Who'd you find, Dee?" A voice said beside Kenny, but before he could see who it was, Kenny fell to the ground and lost consciousness.

Kenny began to wake up with the stinging feeling of his body warming up from the cold. He felt his body laid on a soft bed with a fur blanket over him. Kenny slowly opened his eyes and looked around; he was in a single roomed log cabin. There was a light shining on his right, and there was a man sitting near a fire with two dogs beside him. One of the dogs saw that Kenny was awake and barked at him. "Shut up, Dee!" The man said. He turned, and Kenny nearly burst out laughing.

The man looked almost exactly like Paul Bunyan, with a large black beard, overalls, and red-black stripped shirt. All that was missing was the blue ox. Kenny chuckled to himself.

"Is something funny?" He asked with a questionable gaze.

"I can't believe that Paul Bunyan is the guy who saved me!"

The man chuckled along with Kenny. "Well, welcome back to the living." He said, approaching Kenny's bed. "My name is Joshua."

"Kenny."

"You from the south?" Joshua asked.

"Yeah. This your place?"

"Yeah," Joshua said, "I used to use this home for hunting, but since the dead started walking, it's been my hideout. My actual house was overrun with dead. Where you heading from?"

"I was heading away from a place called Wellington."

"Ah, yes. I had a few people come through here looking for that place. I just pointed them to the other one instead since I didn't know exactly where Wellington was."

Kenny looked at Joshua, "Other one?"

Joshua nodded, "Yep. A place called… hmm… what is it… I can't remember what it was called, but if you keep heading west from this cabin you should be able to find it."

Kenny was excited. Clem and AJ are safe, and he has a chance to do a restart himself! Kenny started to get up, but Joshua put his hand on his chest, "Whoa there, you should rest for a bit. You nearly died out there. To be honest I was having a hard time deciding whether or not to drag you here. I thought you might turn."

"Than what do you suggest I do then?"

"I can give you some supplies, wait for you to warm up. When you feel ready later today, you can make your way there."

Kenny sighed, "I suppose I don't have anything better to do."

Joshua smiled, "Great! It'll give us more time to talk about ourselves. I was cooking some venison if you want some."

Kenny had forgotten how hungry he was, "Thanks. And not only for the food, but for saving my life."

"Don't mention it. I wasn't happy that you tried to kill my dog, but under the circumstances you were in, I would have done the same thing." Joshua sat at a round wooden table with a plate and started eating the meat. "Come, sit down. Let's talk about ourselves."


End file.
